Particularly as an ink jet recording apparatus among recording apparatuses represented by a facsimile and a printer, there is a so called serial type ink jet recording apparatus that includes a recording head which ejects an ink and a head unit (in some cases, referred to as a carriage) capable of moving in a predetermined moving direction.
Now, there are two types of head units; one is a head unit on which an ink containing unit for containing the ink (hereafter, appropriately referred to as an ink cartridge) is mounted, and the other is one on which the ink cartridge is not mounted.
The head unit with the cartridge mounted thereon reciprocates in a predetermined direction in a state of the ink cartridge being mounted on, and the ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the recording head, in the inside of the head unit. In the head unit without the cartridge mounted thereon, the ink cartridge is provided independent of the head unit, and the ink cartridge and the head unit (recording head) communicate with each other through the ink tube provided for supplying the ink. (For example, refer to PTL 1)